


But What If We...?

by ScullyLovesQueequeg



Series: Fictober 2019 [15]
Category: The X-Files
Genre: AU, F/M, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Fluff and Humor
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-10-18
Updated: 2019-10-28
Packaged: 2021-01-16 04:04:19
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,567
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21264779
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScullyLovesQueequeg/pseuds/ScullyLovesQueequeg
Summary: Mulder is a British national and has been living in the US long enough to know this is what he wants to keep doing. His green card is set to expire, so Scully comes up with a plan: marry her partner. It goes well until it comes time for the divorce. Set around season 5 or so.





	1. Day 18 - But What If We...?

**Author's Note:**

> Someone had sent [frangipanidownunder](https://frangipanidownunder.tumblr.com) a request to write [a marriage visa AU with MSR](https://frangipanidownunder.tumblr.com/post/187593529607/i-didnt-understand-if-you-wanted-prompts-or-not). She passed on this so I said I would write it. Please note that this is written to be as simple as possible regarding US residency status. I took creative liberties because most people will tell you that it’s not as simple as get married, get green card.

When the door to the office opened, Mulder hardly looked up. Scully didn’t really expect him to. She knew that he counted her steps. He had the sound of her heels clicking against the floor memorized. She crossed the room to where his desk was located and sat down in the chair in front of it, setting her bag down beside her leg.

“Good morning,” Mulder murmured, giving Scully chills. She loved the way his voice sounded. She noticed that his brows were furrowed and that if she was being honest, he seemed to be deep in thought. His mood was on display, and it was a mood she had only seen once before: when he had emerged from the burning hall in a hotel. It was a look of genuine fear and disappointment, and Scully wondered what it was that could be causing so much distress to Mulder.

“Is everything okay…?”

“No, and I’m afraid there isn’t very much we can do to remedy this situation. I let time get away from me, and my residency status is in limbo. I have a green card, but… if it expires, I’ll have to leave. If I didn’t work here, no one would care but…” He let the statement trail off, and Scully felt as if the wind had been kicked out of her.

“Mulder, all this time we’ve been partners… and I didn’t know you were here on a visa. I can’t believe you never told me that,” Scully said, thinking about how much this man had changed her life. 

Just like that, he would be gone.

Maybe he would go and work at Scotland Yard, maybe he would pick up where he left things with his ex, Phoebe Green.

“I’m sorry, I just… I didn’t think it would be an issue. And if I’m being honest… I don’t want to leave. I don’t really have much by way of family, or friends to go back to. Here, I have friends, I have this job and… I have _you_. I couldn’t bear to lose you, Scully. I almost did twice,” Mulder said, removing his glasses and looking Scully in the eyes. Scully broke eye contact with him, almost instantly.

“Oh Mulder…” Her voice was soft, tender even, and she started to mentally go through the list of things they could do when it occurred to her: “What if we got married?”

“Don’t you think that’s a little too forward?” Mulder joked, but Scully shook her head.

“I’m serious. If… if it means you can stay, I don’t mind marrying you—it’s only on paper, isn’t it? We could get married at the courthouse,” She suggested. Mulder gave her an indescribable look but shrugged.

“You’d be willing to do that? We would have to show that we’ve been in a relationship for a while, which I guess is easy enough but we’ll have to live together, too. We can open a joint bank account, and whatever else that will prove we’re a couple. It’s not going to be easy, though. Are you sure you want to do this? It’s a lot.”

“I’ve never been more sure of anything in my own life. You mean a lot to me, and… I don’t want to lose you either.”

This made Mulder smile, and then, perhaps to test the waters, he said,

“Thanks… I can’t think of anyone I would rather marry on a whim.” His tone was jocular, but something about the way he said that made everything sting.

“How long would you have to live with me?”

“Two months. It’ll be a piece of cake. I can just go live with you at yours. I can pack a suitcase and sleep on the couch a couple nights a week, but I don’t have to live with you full time or anything. I know you value your privacy,” Mulder prattled off. Scully sighed softly.

She knew she shouldn’t have high hopes. To Mulder, this was just a formality; a friend doing another friend a favor. He didn’t even seem to particularly care about the idea of marriage. She knew she was setting herself up for failure but… she also supposed she didn’t care either. She couldn’t lose him.


	2. Day 28 - Wedding Bells

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The actually get married in this chapter.

A week went by and Mulder never brought up the idea of marriage again. Thursday rolled around, and the morning was uneventful. As Scully made her way to lunch that day, she thought about how she would handle living with Mulder. Would he be messy? Would he be an absolute pig, or would he act differently? If the office was any indication, he was just absent-minded when it came to clutter.

She didn’t think he felt the same about her. It had been about 3 years since they’d been working together, and he hadn’t shown much interest, whereas her interest in him had only increased. She worried that her feelings would only get hurt and that she was setting herself up for failure. These thoughts persisted through her lunch break.

When she was done having her lunch, she returned to the office. Mulder was not there, so she opened her laptop to finish typing up a report. As she typed, she heard the door open. It was Mulder. He paused when they made eye contact, and he walked around her chair, before getting down before her on one knee. She felt her stomach bubble with excitement as Mulder removed a ring box from his coat and presented it to her.

“Scully, I know we haven’t been working together for a long time, but you already mean so much to me. I know I didn’t need to do this but… once again, you went above and beyond to do something for me. So I thought I would take the time to tell you that I appreciate it, and you. Will you marry me?”

Scully was shocked. She was rendered speechless and her eyes remained on the ring. It wasn’t an overly complicated one; it probably wasn’t even diamond, but it was hers. He had actually gone and picked out a ring for her.

“Mulder, I… I don’t know what to say. I wasn’t expecting this,” Scully said softly, before glancing at him. “Yes. I will marry you.”

Mulder carefully put the ring on her finger and grinned.

“It’s not a real diamond but it looks like one! I wanted to give you something special, kinda as thanks. You’re doing me such a huge thing,” Mulder said, getting up and holding her hands. “Let’s finalize everything on Monday and then we can go out to celebrate and maybe have our honeymoon.”

“A honeymoon?” Scully laughed softly. “Where would we go?“

"Who knows. But it’s the least I can do to thank you.”

If she was being honest with herself, she genuinely couldn’t believe that she was getting married. Sure, it was for Mulder to stay in the US, but it was still something she very much wanted, with the man she wanted. He had told her to meet him at the courthouse on Monday. She spent the whole weekend looking for a nice dress and settled on something she thought would look like she hadn’t put much significance to the ceremony. She even did her hair and her nails. As the weekend ticked on by, Scully couldn’t deny it—she was so nervous.

Monday morning came, and she got dressed up and ready to go. She hadn’t even told her mother because it wasn’t a _real _wedding. It was just for the paperwork. Her arrival at the courthouse in a cab was so that Mulder could drive her around. He insisted.

They filled out the paperwork, and when the judge signed it, Mulder pulled out a ring and slipped it on her finger.

“There’s a ceremony for that,” The judge advised, but Mulder shook his head.

“We have to be back at our jobs,” Mulder joked, and the judge nodded. Scully looked at Mulder expectantly, and so did the judge, but he merely muttered his thanks and took Scully’s hand leading her out.

“I can’t believe how quickly this went,” Mulder said, shuffling nervously next to Scully when they were outside of the office. Scully smiled inwardly.

“The judge was expecting you to kiss me,” Scully informed him, and Mulder looked alarmed.

“Was I supposed to?”

“If you were going to give me the ring, then yeah, it would have been nice.”

Mulder rubbed his forehead, and let his gaze fall to the ground. That’s when he noticed it.

“You’re wearing a dress. You–oh, you came dressed nice. Was that for me?” The last part was asked softly and caused Scully to blush, but also laugh. How did he only just notice this?!

“You wanted to make it legit, didn’t you?” She teased, but inside, her heart ached. 

_You’re playing with fire, Dana. You’re going to get hurt._

“Yes, but… I mean, I came dressed nicely for you too.”

“Yes, I noticed,” Scully said, taking his arm and escorting him out of the building.

“Now I feel kind of bad for not noticing sooner… let’s remedy this by having our photos taken and then getting something to eat. We can make a day of it, and then you can help me move into your place.” Mulder prattled off. Scully shook her head but smiled to herself. She wouldn’t have him any other way.


End file.
